Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Will of God

The will of God...

We all want it for our life. Cause God expects us to right? I mean God says He will give us the desires of our hearts right?

I'de like to look at this Biblically. I want us to look at Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path"

The first part says we need to trust God with our whole heart. Obviously we say we trust God with whole heart... but do we really? Why should someone we don't trust lead us? We follow someone BECAUSE we trust them. We trust that they know what is best for our life. God, the God of the universe, knows and wants to guide us in following His will.

I always thought I had the second part of this down... "Lean not on your own understanding." Ok yeah don't trust yourself, got it. Leaning means resting on something. We like to rest on something comfortable am I right? Aka a bed :) Our own understanding is what makes sense in our heads or what we are most comfortable with. God expects just the opposite. God doesn't make sense a lot of the time. He isn't so concerned with the destination, than the journey there. He grows us through the agonizing journey to get to the final destination. I don't see being in the center of God's will as being comfortable. Yes, His will is perfect though.

I love how this passage builds on each part. "But in all your ways acknowledge Him." Ok so this means in whatever we do acknowledge He is God? Well yes. But I believe this also means that we are to seek after Him, realizing that we are finite creatures who are in need His help as we go our way. So both are very much true in this sense.

This leads me into the last part of this "And He will direct your ways." When we put these three truths together, then God promises to direct our paths. Like I said before, this passage builds on each section. God obviously finds all three parts necessary. What a comforting thought that the God who made the universe and died for everyone's sins, wants to guide and direct their paths. He promises that to us right here in this passage.

Finding the will of God. Or should I say: actively pursuing to be in the will of God.

Prayer I believe is setting the heart on the will of God. It's not telling God what your will is and asking Him to fulfill that desire. But rather telling God something like this: "God, Your will is perfect. I ask You to align my will with Yours. I trust that You know what is best for my life. Whatever You have for me Father. I want as well." Its one humbling themselves of their pride and submitting to whatever God has for them. Getting one's heart set on things of God. When our hearts are taken over by God what we want will be what God wants.

That is finding the will of God. That is God giving us the desires of our hearts. That is God's love.